LIVE MARKETS-Stocks aren't scared of the big, bad bond market
Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com
STOCKS AREN'T SCARED OF THE BIG, BAD BOND MARKET
This week has been dominated by the big, bad bond market, where yields around the world have risen to multi-decade, and, in some cases, record highs. The 30-year Treasury bond yield has hit its highest since 2004. Long-dated yields from Japan to Germany have risen sharply.
Almost as dramatic as the levels has been the speed of the move. An index of bond market volatility has hit its highest since late March. The ICE BofA MOVE index .MOVE has hit 104.58, the most since March 31. Week on week, it's up 37.2%, the largest such rise since the regional banking crisis of March 2023.
Reflecting how sanguine the stock market has been in the face of rising borrowing costs, the VIX equity volatility index .VIX is not far off its lowest this year. The VIX, which many view as the market's "fear index", hit a 2026 low of 13.8 in early September and is now only around 16. In the last week, it's barely budged, up just 1.5%.
The Nasdaq has hit record highs this week .IXIC on the back of renewed optimism over AI, while the S&P 500 .SPX is not far behind. The STOXX 600 .STOXX, which is more heavily weighted to healthcare and consumer stocks like luxury, has struggled a bit in the last couple of weeks of bond selloff, but is still only a couple of percentage points below August's highs too.
Based on the market's various fear gauges, stocks aren't just surviving the bond market rout, they're thriving, for now.
(Amanda Cooper)
EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:
EQUITIES NEARING 'BOILING POINT' CLICK HERE
STOXX HEADING FOR POSITIVE WEEK CLICK HERE
EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: FUTURES HIGHER, OIL EBBS CLICK HERE
WHEN TREASURIES CATCH KOREA'S VOLATILITY BUG, TAKE COVER CLICK HERE